EarthBound now available on the Wii U virtual console

Today is the day you all have been waiting for, my friends. EarthBound is finally available on the Wii U virtual console, for the hefty price of $9.99. This is a premium price, considering all other SNES games retail on the platform for $7.99. The trailer above shows off the game for anyone who may not be familiar with it.

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YayGs

Now? You mean right now right now? If I had the nostalgia factor for the game my wallet would be open and credit card out! But I never played it when I was a kid, but will probably pick it up later out of curiosity and it’s overall fandom.

Pikachief

Now now! and I dont think most people played this as a kid. It very quickly made its way to the bargin bin in the west. Most people played it as they got older on a ROM. Its just a great game

https://twitter.com/Zorpix_Fang Zorpix

So… What IS Earthbound? I’d like to hear it from a fanatic. They always know exactly what to love about a game

http://about.me/overlordror Ashley King

I’d love to hear myself. I never played the game growing up as I preferred twitchy platformers to JRPGs. Friend of mine swears it’s amazing, though.

Guest

Play it and you will understand.

https://twitter.com/Zorpix_Fang Zorpix

I’m a poor college student… I like to know something about what I’m about to “understand” before I buy something

Ford Crews

Find an emulated version, see if you like it, then buy it.

everyone

It’s a turn based rpg with a sense of humor to it. It plays a bit on the odd side of humor but it works for it.

https://twitter.com/Zorpix_Fang Zorpix

like a dark sense of humor?

everyone

Not dark. More wacky and random. Example: one of the enemies you encounter is a “new age retro hippie”.

https://twitter.com/Zorpix_Fang Zorpix

sorta like dragon quest almost? Or less puns?

everyone

lol. plenty of that but more. If I were to compare some of the humor in the game to something modern I would compare it to the writing on the show Adventure Time.

https://twitter.com/Zorpix_Fang Zorpix

ah. Alrighty, so its that kind of random humor… I’ve never been a huge adventure time fan, but I do like that kind of humor…

greengecko007

Uhm yes, it is pretty dark and twisted if you think about it. No spoilers, but Porky… my God…

everyone

I would say twisted is a good way to describe it. Dark toward the end.

Ryan Kent

Earthbound in a unique “modern day” JRPG that is incredibly well written and quite challenging. It has tons of pop culture references that will make you laugh and dialogue that you will actually want to pay attentions and this is coming from a guy that doesn’t like much dialogue in his video games.

Wayne Beck

EarthBound on the surface is nothing more than the Average Golden Age JRPG. What makes it more than that is the Quirky Characters and it’s use of real life everyday things to perform extraordinary acts. It’s the childhood fantasy adventure that so many people have, and it’s shown in the real world. Your not suddenly some amazing warrior who wields a sword and shield like a knight. You’ve got a baseball bat and a yoyo and when your low on energy you eat a cheeseburger washed down by a can of soda. Of course you get special powers, but it’s not the kind of game where you can get away with popping off your most powerful move every fight as you wander through the world. The game has such an elegant blend of fantasy and reality that it pulls you in. It’s challenging, but when all is said and done, it’s an experience you will never forget.

https://twitter.com/Zorpix_Fang Zorpix

this is the description I was looking for! Thank you!

audi lover

Why so expensive its only a snes game, fair enough its the first time uk/europe get to play but seems like a money grabbing scheme, why not just stick to the 5.50 price, Nintendo shame on you when most people complain that your vc prices are to high anyway

Baum 「ツリー」

Well if you want to pay the 150+€, $ or whatever for the game, just do it…

Magnus Eriksson

So not the same thing.

Guest

People complaining about the price can either pirate it or STFU and buy the physical copy.

Baum 「ツリー」

There’s a reason why it’s called VIRTUAL Console

Daniel Gonzalez

Yes, as in virtually insane pricing.

Fred

I disagree, when I’ve bought VC games I’ve gotten my money’s worth out of them. Super Mario World certainly has more then $8 worth of enjoyment in it!

Daniel Gonzalez

Not to me. That’s just you my friend. To each their own. Plus, I already got mine backed up on a rom since my SNES is on it’s rocking chair now so to speak. I back up my old copies rather to play anything on the VC.

It’s a matter of preference. Nice to see a fellow fan that can be mature about disagreeing.

Mochlum

True, but Nintendo can’t center a price around everybody’s preference. I think 10 dollars is a good price for a game that everyone has constantly been begging about since Virtual Console was made.

Daniel Gonzalez

If you think so, then good for you my friend. I have my copy and have no need for most VC games. In the end it’s just a matter of preference. At least we all get to play the games one way or the other.

Squid

Really? *facepalm* think of it this way, would you rather spend 50-500 dollars on a physical copy? Or 10 dollars on the digital copy? It’s not that hard if you aren’t a collector. I’m a collector.. but I obviously can’t afford a Super Nintendo.

Daniel Gonzalez

Well, since I have an original copy, neither. I made that clear in a few posts. Thank you for your time.

Daniel Gonzalez

No u!

Pikboss

not pirating, that is not cool

Fred

I disagree. I think they’re trying to determine if it will be worth it to bring some of the other Mother games to the Wii U VC if we’re all willing to pay a little more then they’ll know it’s worth it, but if $2 extra deters us then they’ll know not to worry about it. They are probing consumer demand

Squid

It’s a SNES game they go for 7 bucks. Earthbound is actually a really good game. You got Super Metroid for 30 cents, and that’s a steal. If they put super Metroid on the VC without the deal they should have put it for ten like earthbound.

Baum 「ツリー」

Guess it’s old news by now, BUT there’s actually a very valid reasoning for the pricing…It seems to be the SNES version of the game (since it says original US release 1995, when you are starting the game) and those always cost 10$/€

everyone

Instant buy for me. Hate seeing the cartridge going for $150+. I just want to play the game not store it like an antique.

Daniel Gonzalez

That’s what I do to mine. It’s called preserving it. For now, I’m happy with just emulating it.

Razo_E

Preserving is a good idea. Don’t use an emulator, because once you get to the final boss your game freezes and erases your progress.

Daniel Gonzalez

I never had that problem since I’ve been playing the game on emulators for years now. I heard that happening to some people before though.

Jedi Otter

Depends on the ROM file you’re using.

Daniel Gonzalez

Well mine was ripped from my old copy of the game. So far, I never had an issue with mine. If it was downloaded, well, then you take the risk of having a botched rom.

Ricky Guzman

This release just devalued the SNES version. I dont think nintendo ever released earthbound on any other platform so SNES was the only way to play it besides emulation. It shouldnt be $150 anymore.

Justis Bistawros

So that’s where ness came from hes one of my favorite characters from smash bros.

A SNES Day Off

So Nintendo bend the VC pricing model when it suits them? Well that’s just great. They know Earthbound will be a big seller, so they’ve slapped on a higher price tag purely because of the game’s reputation.

Magnus Eriksson

I think its kind of greedy. Especially when they have been unable to deliver as promised for almost a year… sorry many years.

Fred

I think you’re wrong

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

Maybe the $2 goes into the cost of digitizing the players guide and making it available with the game. Ever think of that?

Also what other big game company makes their games from the past 30 years readily available? Not many and none do it like Nintendo does.
I thought you were going to try and be more positive??

Magnus Eriksson

Nah, this is a very low-cost-next-to-zero thing. They do it just to get more money.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

I think your concepts of how much things cost to make available to customers is a bit misguided. Sure they are probably making a decent profit off of this and other VC titles but next to zero cost??

Magnus Eriksson

The game is already made, twenty years ago. Sure its next to nothing (and if you compare it to a Super Mario galaxy game or PIKMIN3 youll see its almost ridiculous). I dont say that they shouldnt make profit, but I doesnt think this is decent.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

You know what.. then quit your bitching and don’t buy it. If it is not a value to you then move on with your life and quit saying just because it is an old game that it should be next to nothing to reproduce and on top of that store and distribute digitally.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

Still have to pay the creators of the game and the other royalties… Just like if you go buy a movie made 20, 30, or 40 years ago you still have to pay because the producers, actors, and other people involved get paid per copy.. Nintendo may have published this game but they did not develop it or compose the music used. I am sure if you took the time to think of all the parts that this could be broken down to and take into account the cost for the servers, network, distribution, and advertising you may realize that the profit made is not as high as you think it is.

david jarman

Actually that is wrong. They redo quite a bit of the codes so that it fits today’s flat screens and ratios. Plus, they have to code the gamepad specifics and off tv play. It’s basically rebuilding the game again from the ground up cause earthbound was created with super nes architecture.
By the way! Happy belated birthday!

greengecko007

It’s not very hard to scan pictures and convert them into computer files. From there the developers just include the files in the game. I don’t believe that the extra cost of the game is due to higher development costs, considering this is the game in the series that was actually localized outside of Japan.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

Oh I am pretty sure they did more than just scan and paste pictures up, but hey I am glad that you think it was a piece of cake.

greengecko007

So you’d rather just disregard my comment instead of actually responding with some sort of proof that that’s not what they’re doing? Ok…

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

Just an educated guess that a magazine page simply scanned in would not scale well on the web and especially since they stated it was optimized to be viewed in the GamePad browser. Sounds like maybe the images were scanned in and cropped and designed with new text to fit the web browsers so it could be easily read on a computer or the gamepad.
That’s all I am saying

greengecko007

So let me get this straight, not only were they scanned, but they were cropped too? Wow, that’s definitely a lot of work, I will now gladly fork over an extra 2 dollars to pay for somebody’s photoshop skills.

#Sarcasm

But really. That’s not exactly a large amount of work that merits a 25% increase in total cost now is it?

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

How about the servers and bandwidth that it will take for people to view this and use it on the web? Those must be free to operate as well. I am sure they use a good portion of the profits from Virtual Console titles to support the FREE online play and the servers to host and distribute all the digital content.

I manage one network of about 1000 computers and 20 servers (and other tech) and I know how much it costs per month just to power and maintain those so I can not even imagine how much it costs per month for many data centers with ultra high speed internet connections. It’s got to be paid for somehow.

greengecko007

So consumers should pay extra money every time Nintendo puts up another page on their website? Horribly flawed logic. Nintendo already pays for their web domains and server upkeep. You aren’t paying for anything that isn’t included in other SNES virtual console games except to view a webpage.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

I guess we will agree to disagree but I know you feel it was a simple photoshop and cut and paste job to make this digital guide but being experienced in the field of Information Systems management I would have to say some work went into this and the costs should be covered. But hey you are welcome to think what you want to think but you just keep proving that you want something for nothing…. AKA self entitlement

greengecko007

If I expected something for nothing I’d be asking for this game for free. Instead, I’m suggesting that the 25% increase in cost for a product that’s only difference from similar products is a webpage with the game guide that has already been made is not justifiable. We are both entitled to our opinions on what is worth our money, but you seem to be bent out of shape because if somebody else doesn’t see value where you see it you call them “entitled”.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

No… I only commented on your reply because you seem to think it was no big deal to simply scan the magazine in and paste it on the web. I have several programmer friends that would disagree with you that it is an easy and quick task to make something that was printed years ago into digital web form and make it scalable to modern computer browsers and mobile browsers such as the gamepad.
If the guide was done digitally from the start then it would be a different story now wouldn’t it??

greengecko007

“If the guide was done digitally from the start then it would be a different story now wouldn’t it??”

Very good point! I actually didn’t even think of that. As a matter of fact, the guide WAS done digitally from the start, as it had to be designed on the computer and printed using printers in order to be mass produced. So really, it’s even less work than we thought. They don’t have to scan all the pages, they just have to edit some of the pages in areas like showing the control layout for the gamepad instead of the SNES controller. Once the parts of the pages that need editing for the Wii U version are finished, they simply upload the images to their website.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

I assume you do not know the difference of something that was created digitally many years ago for print compared to something created today for both print and web.. Also who even knows if the original digital content even exists anymore or is even compatible with modern software. Back when this was printed it may have not been created solely on a computer.. Magazines and newspapers and other material where created differently 20 years ago than they are now.

Oh and FYI the original printed guide for this game is going for $70+ on sites like Amazon and eBay… So there is something to say about the rarity and the demand that can go into the cost too. It is all really simple if you think about it.

greengecko007

Coding is coding. Making it run on modern software is exactly what we as consumers are paying them for.

I don’t care how much an original game guide print is going for on Ebay. You are crazy if you think that information is relevant in any way. How rare an item is does not affect how much it costs developers to reproduce it. Rarity is simply quantity.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

Yes but rarity comes into play in the demand in the simple concept of Supply and Demand…. So many factors to consider in the cost of this and other VC titles and yet you are so one dimensional.

You are still focused on the labor in the coding making it possible to get this game but there is way more than the coding that factors into the cost. I have said it before but there is royalties for the music, developers, creators of the ideas used, and the list goes on. If you assume that these costs are all the same across the board for all VC games then you are just naive. Sure they may make more profit on some games vs others but I think if you took a minute and broke down all the possible costs involved you may find that the profit made from these games is not as high as you may think.

greengecko007

The main point we have been debating is why the game is more expensive compared to other SNES titles. My entire point is that while I know it takes effort to reproduce the game guide for Earthbound, I don’t believe that it cost 25% of what it cost to port the game to the Wii U, upgrade its graphics immensely, add Miiverse integration with a community, and so forth. Adding the game guide is such a small part of all of that, I just don’t see it tacking on $2 more to the total cost. Do you honestly believe the rarity of an original print is a factor at all here?

Supply and demand? So now your reason is exactly what I said earlier. They raised the price because they knew it would sell well.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

Supply and demand is just one of the many factors that probably go into the cost of this game… I think I made my point which happens to be proven right by someone who posted links to the facts so I guess my logic is not that flawed after all.

david jarman

Coding is not coding. Old codes don’t run on new hardware. Especially cause earthbound was originally designed for different architecture. Nintendo has to pull resources from other projects to work on the vc games.

greengecko007

Did you read what I posted? Making the coding work on modern day hardware is what we pay them to do. We pay money for Nintendo to port our old time favorites onto new hardware.

david jarman

I did read it, but you make it seem easy. They also have to pull resources together. Plus gamepad play only has to be written into the software and they have to make sure they code it to fit and look right for today’s screen ratios. There’s a lot of testing and debugging. That takes up a lot of man hours. It’s pretty much building the game again from the ground up. $10 is justifiable cause its their game, their resources and their money that went into the game. It’s because the way nintendo prices things is the reason why their employees aren’t looking for jobs. I’ll gladly pay that $9.99 plus tax.

david jarman

You know it cost money to have people code it for the wii u. I respect them for that. It keeps people employed. What’s with this world? Everyone wants to be paid what their worth, but then we cry when we have pay what something is worth.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

All about the self entitlement generation where they feel they are owed something for free. I guess that is why so many are saying just download an emulator and the ROM.

Then they wonder why game companies and the movie and music industry are trying to fight piracy so hard. It is because people seem to think it is OK to do that and come on the internet and publicly tell others to do it as well.

greengecko007

“All about the self entitlement generation”

I can no longer take you seriously after you just said that… Piracy and theft is not an age specific crime. People of all ages steal and pirate things off of the internet. The fact that you think the blame goes to one particular age group just shows your ignorance.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

That self entitlement generation seems to fit people 30 and younger for the most part and seems to be contagious to other people that have no concept on how much it costs to operate a business. So I did not intend to imply that piracy is an age specifc crime but did intend to imply that sometime in the past 20-30 years people started to think they were owed something for nothing and it is spreading like a disease. It all has to happen at an instant and has to be free or very little cost.

david jarman

Exactly! As wonderful as the Internet is, it sure has done a lot of damage to media industries.

Daniel Gonzalez

As well as the media taking advantage of it too. It goes both ways.

david jarman

Media has the right to price the amount they want to price just like we have the right to not pay for it. However we don’t have the right to steal it and this doesn’t only hurt the company, it also hurts the consumer.

Daniel Gonzalez

True, but a pirate could care less. Unfortunately, that’s how the world is now. You can fight it hard, but no matter what, these pirates will always exist and adapt to new technology. It’s a never ending cycle that will never stop.

Not saying that these companies should stop, but even they know they’ll never get leverage on it. It’s too big for them to handle. Plus, other countries have their own laws on copyrights, so that complicates things quite a bit.

david jarman

Yet at the same time I have urges to be a pirate me self, but one who sails a ship and buries his treasure! Arrrrrrrrrr!
A Ninja Pirate at best!

Daniel Gonzalez

Lol. Well I think most have the temptation to do so, but so far I’ve resisted it. Can’t say I never will one day.

Magnus Eriksson

I actually never pirated a game, well yes on my C64 and my Amiga500 i did as that kind of was the norm back then (and I was nine year old with no money for computer games). But I never pirated a game for any of my consoles or PC. And Ive had quite many too. I would never emulate, altough I can understand why others will do…

Magnus Eriksson

Of course I know that. But its still very low costs. My guess (actually not mine because it stems from Wired) is that they could release EVERYTHING they got from NES to N64 with ten people within two months time. And its relatively easy compared to making a new game, so they could lease others if they didnt want to use own resources.

david jarman

True but keep in mind they have to pull resources from more important projects cause leasing it isn’t that cost effective for a retro game.

Fred

I think it’s the opposite. I think they’re trying to determine if it will be worth it to bring some of the other Mother games to the Wii U VC if we’re all willing to pay a little more then they’ll know it’s worth it, but if $2 extra deters us then they’ll know not to worry about it. They are probing consumer demand

greengecko007

The virtual console prices are already high. If people bought the game for normal prices it would show that there would be a reason to bring over the other games. Making this game more expensive because it’s popular is just a cash grab.

Fred

I disagree. When I bought Super Mario World for $8 I felt like I was getting a steal of a deal. My wife and I have already gotten way more then $8 worth of entertainment out of that game and we’re not nearly done. Yes if I had a Super Nintendo and that cartridge then it wouldn’t be worth it to be, but I don’t.

I also don’t have Earth Bound and I’ve never played it, but if I enjoy it I’m sure I’ll get more then $10 worth of entertainment out of it.

greengecko007

If it’s worth it to you, then that’s really all that matters. If you haven’t played Earthbound yet, it’s a REALLY weird RPG, but you’ll probably like it. Since I played an emulated copy years ago, I’ll most likely hold out on buying it until the price goes down.

Daniel Gonzalez

Nintendo is like any other business, they take advantage of it’s sheep. Doesn’t bother me since I can just emulate it since I already own an original copy. Not paying again for the same game.

Ryan Kent

Cool man, way to support piracy.

Daniel Gonzalez

Lol. If you did your homework, if you own an original copy, it’s perfectly legal to rip a rom for backup. Which in this case, since my SNES is showing it’s age, isn’t pirating. Do some research before making accusations. Thank you.

Ryan Kent

Actually you’re wrong. I will do your homework for you. From NINTENDO’S website:

Can I Download a Nintendo ROM
from the Internet if I Already Own the Authentic Game?

There is a good deal of misinformation on the Internet regarding the backup/archival copy exception. It is not a “second copy” rule and is often mistakenly cited for the proposition that if you have one lawful copy of a copyrighted work, you are entitled to have a second copy of the copyrighted work even if that second copy
is an infringing copy. The backup/archival copy exception is a very narrow limitation relating to a copy being made by the rightful owner of an authentic game to ensure he or she has one in the event of damage or destruction of the authentic. Therefore, whether you have an authentic game or not, or whether you have possession of a Nintendo ROM for a limited amount of time, i.e. 24 hours, it is illegal to download and play a Nintendo ROM from the Internet.

Exactly, since I did rip it from my own cartridge. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to play my game anymore. Not all of us do illegal stuff. Perhaps you should ask how I got a rom to begin with instead of accusing me of piracy. Nice to see you did your homework though. Good job.

Ryan Kent

Why didn’t you say you ripped it from your own cartridge then? Let me quote you:
Daniel Gonzalez: “Lol. If you did your homework, if you own an original copy, it’s **perfectly legal to download a rom** for backup. Which in this case, since my SNES is showing it’s age, isn’t pirating. Do some research before making accusations.”

Daniel Gonzalez

If you didn’t ask, then technically speaking, I don’t have to actually say how. As said before, you assumed that I downloaded it illegally without asking how I obtained a rom. Right? Exactly, so it’s not my problem if you don’t ask questions first.

Now that you know, it’s all good now. No hard feelings here. Have fun gaming.

Jon

the key point is you said you got a back up and said it was perfectly legal to download a download a rom which isn’t the case

Daniel Gonzalez

The key point is, he accused me rather than asking how exactly I obtained a rom. Either way, what I did is legal and there isn’t anymore to really be discussed. It’s old news now.

Plus, I never said anything about it being illegal to download a rom, nice try. Have a nice day.

Ryan Kent

Actually, one more point from my homework straight from Nintendo to illustrate that they believe you are promoting piracy by using emulators with your ripped Rom:

How Come Nintendo Does Not Take
Steps Towards Legitimizing Nintendo Emulators?

*Emulators developed to play illegally copied Nintendo software
promote piracy.* That’s like asking why doesn’t Nintendo legitimize piracy. It doesn’t make any business sense. It’s that simple and not open to debate.

That’s their view on roms. If they think it promotes piracy, then that’s their problem really. If the general public sees ripping roms as backup, then that’s what I will follow. Plus, I bought my copy years ago, so I will do what I so please with it. That’s no disrespect to Nintendo, and since I’m not buying their game again just to fill their pockets with a quick few bucks. Way I see it, if Nintendo thinks that way, they’re just as in the wrong as the pirates themselves.

Backing up is a matter of protecting ones investment, not to pirate. Some do, but my copies have strictly been for my own personal use.

Sorry that Nintendo sees backing up copies as promoting piracy, as I know a lot that do it, but not everyone who does so is a pirate. Regardless, I will continue to do so to protect my investments over the years. I won’t pay for a game that I already have, makes no sense to me. Unless they give me a copy of my games via VC free of charge, then no can do.

Nice homework though, but unfortunately for Nintendo, the whole public doesn’t share their view on emulators and roms. Funny thing is, they use emulators to emulate these games on the VC themselves. Sounds hypocritical don’t you think? If they don’t support them, then why use them on the VC? Sounds quite counterproductive.

Ryan Kent

I don’t think its hypocritical that Nintendo views a game originally built for Nintendo hardware and licensed by Nintendo should only be played on Nintendo hardware or a Nintendo emulator/Virtual Console. I guess we will just agree to disagree about emulators and roms.

Daniel Gonzalez

If they’re going to use emulators whether they’re third party created or 1st, that in my eyes makes them hypocritical. To say that you don’t support them, but use them as long as it’s to their advantage is no better than a pirate downloading them illegally. Nintendo is no different from any other business, they’ll call anything illegal that is legal because they’re not making any money from it.

True, we probably won’t agree on this. It’s cool. It’s just how I see them as a business, which is no better than the rest. Thank you for at least being mature about it.

Jon

The way Nintendo are using emulators vs emulators that people use to say download games off the internet are two completely different things essentially. Using the internet to get a game that someone ripped and gave out, that is piracy though copyright infringement which is what Nintendo does not support. Their use of emulators are to distribute their own product which they own through copyright.

Daniel Gonzalez

I agree with Nintendo there, no doubt. However, if said person ripped the game for his own personal use to protect his investments over the years, then I see nothing wrong with it. If he/she didn’t put it up for download, then there shouldn’t be any real complaints. Sorry Nintendo sees it that way. Sounds like a personal problem to me.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

I agree with you there.. I have an emulator for GameCube and made my own game dumps of games I own. Nintendo is not the only one that has this stance on piracy. The MPAA and RIAA do everything they can and even try to keep pushing it so that people cannot rip their CDs to MP3s or DVD/BluRay movies to movie files.. Some argue that this changes the format and is not a direct copy like cartridge to cartridge so therefore it violates copyright laws. I do not agree but it has to be said more people are willing to “share” those digital files and make copies. I am not saying you do that but it does happen all the time. Heck I always get people asking me to copy their movies or get movies and music free for them.. I work in education IT support and constantly have teachers bring me movies they rent from Netflix or CDs they borrow or even better ask me to rip clips from youtube all in violation of copyright.

Daniel Gonzalez

Yeah, I know what you mean. However, no matter how much they try to stop this pirating movement, there’s always more people to replace the few. It’s the same with sites, one goes down, another one pops up. It’s kinda pointless for them to keep trying since pirates always find a way to get one step ahead.

I only make game dumps for myself and no one else. Few of my friends do it too and I had a few try to get me to share with them and I politely decline and tell them to learn how to do it themselves.

Piracy will exist no matter what these groups try to do, it’s nice that they try to fight it, but even I know it’s a war they won’t win. Especially with Sweden’s copyright laws, which are way different than ours and doesn’t see anything wrong with digital sharing I guess. Good example of that is piratebay. Problem is, not all countries are in agreement with each other about copyrights, which makes it difficult to even get leverage.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

I can totally agree with that. I still buy most of my music on CD and make my own MP3s and Movies on Disc as well but I convert them to digital and put them on my Home Server and even though I am constantly asked to give this stuff away I say no as politely as I can… Being an IT person I am asked all the time for free software like I am going to pirate Windows, Office, Adobe Software or anything else for somebody.

Ryan Kent

Thanks for the entertaining discussion. It beats other ROM and emulators discussions I have had. It sounds like you have a lot of appreciation for the classics which the part I can respect.

Daniel Gonzalez

While you may not agree with my methods of preserving my games, I can respect that you didn’t act like the typical user on these sites and go all AWOL. My respects to you. I’ll always appreciate the classic games that Nintendo brought to my childhood, but unfortunately Nintendo and I won’t agree the business side of things.

Regardless, let’s just enjoy our games and continue to appreciate the classics and present games.

Jon

it’s not hypocritical, they own the game, they own the rights to distribute the game. As for roms, you don’t own the rights to distribute the game you bought and if you do, then that is piracy. Just so you know, it is not illegal to have an emulator, it is illegal to have the game/distribute the game if you did not get the proper rights to play it i.e buying the game from someone who owns the rights to distribute. You need to read up on copyright laws.

Daniel Gonzalez

That’s your own opinion and you’re entitled to it. However, if I own a copy of Earthbound, then I’m surely not downloading it from the VC. Ripping from my original copy is perfectly legal to me. Naturally, Nintendo won’t support this, because as a business, they want any cent they can get from us. Plus the fact that they use emulators themselves, shows them how full of it they are. It’s fine though, because no business is free from hypocrisy. EIther way, it’s bad PR.

We’re just going to disagree with this. Props for not acting like an ass over it though. My respects.

Jon

it’s not really my own opinion, it is actually the law with copyright. As you said, yes, ripping your own copy is legal however if you distribute that copy to others so they can play it, then that IS illegal for both you and your friends as you do not own the copyright of the game. Where here, Nintendo DOES own the copyright of the game so if they want to sell it to people to play on an emulator, then that is perfectly legal. It is not the emulators that Nintendo doesn’t support, it is the downloading of roms of their games/ acquiring the rom of the games illegally to play on an emulator that they are against and don’t support.

Daniel Gonzalez

Call me a rebel then. Laws are laws, but a law like this isn’t really enforce that much. Considering that these games are so old as they are and Nintendo makes plenty of money, they’re not gonna go to court over it. Too many people do it already and to sue everyone would cause them a lot of legal fees.

Regardless of what you or Nintendo think, it’s still hypocritcal of them to use emulators to their advantage and then come off as not supporting them. They tried that with taking all revenue from Let’s Play gamers on youtube. People rebelled and stop making videos of Nintendo games, and they backed off. They stopped because they know if they stop people it’ll just stop them from ever buying their games, which would hurt them financially, they’re smart in that regard.

Last thing they want is bad PR in the public eye, so most of the time, they don’t make a fuss. Only time they will make a big deal if it’s a current console like Wii U or 3DS, which they will protect at all costs.

Like I said, it’s an agree to disagree discussion here. Appreciate the info, though.

SeroReviews

What you fail to realize is that companies do what they want with THEIR products. Other emulators are illegal, but their emulators are legal since its THEIR PRODUCT. And that is not something that you or me can decide. We are not the ones who decide what is true or not. Some things in life just are the way they are. Just say “oh so i’m doing wat i wants!!” is just… well…

Daniel Gonzalez

Revert back to my previous comments for my opinion on it. If you did, then there’s nothing more to discuss. Good day.

Ryan Kent

Yeah, no hard feelings. My SNES is still working great and I much rather play the games on a TV whether that means I have to replace my SNES batteries or get a VC copy vs. playing on a computer monitor. Anyway, cool that you like the older games.

Daniel Gonzalez

I’ve been playing Nintendo games since the NES days. I appreciate all the classics, but sadly sometimes the NES and SNES show their age and ripping roms from original copies is a good way to preserve your games and childhood. At least we can still play them, but yes, I would rather play them on a TV if it was the case.

So far my N64 and gamecube are fine, so no need to backup those just yet. I appreciate what the VC does for gamers and let’s those who never experienced these games play them, but for me it makes no sense if I can just back them up instead. It’s a matter of preference.

InsomniZac

I wonder how much time and energy you both wasted on a point that really doesn’t matter.

Also, $10 is not too much for a game that gives you hours and hours of play. If you think it is, you obviously have never paid $10 for a pizza that was gone in 15 minutes.

If you don’t want to pay for it, don’t. Don’t be a bitch about it.

Daniel Gonzalez

We’ll decide if we think it’s pointless to have a discussion. Not by you. Sorry, but you’re being a bitch because we are having a mature discussion over roms and backing up games.

Don’t assume people are bitching. Don’t like what we’re talking about? Then the easy thing would be to stay out of it and don’t bother to respond. We have a right to discuss and speak our minds. It must seem to matter if you’re responding to it. If it doesn’t to you, then don’t be involved in the discussion. It’s that simple.

Either way, no, I’m not buying it since I have it already, but that doesn’t mean we can’t discss it. This is what a comment section is for. Good day to you.

InsomniZac

Dude, I’m sorry. I was in a terrible mood yesterday and didn’t read through the whole post. I just thought you were attacking people. I’m sorry. I’ve got to learn to not take this all so seriously, haha. Again, sorry man.

Daniel Gonzalez

It’s all good. No hard feelings.

Ryan Kent

You get the Player’s Guide with it. When was the last time you got that with a Virtual Console game?

A SNES Day Off

They could have provided a players guide with any of the popular titles on VC (especially Super Mario World). They did it for Earthbound as a way of justifying the higher price.

For someone not familiar with the franchise at all, can someone entice me into this game? I’m cool with retro graphics and all; but I’m not sure if I should buy it. Be a salesman/saleswoman. Sell me this game! GO!! lol

https://twitter.com/Zorpix_Fang Zorpix

thats what my post was asking XD

Magnus Eriksson

Its a game that takes the crappiness of Nintendo beyond shittiness to a whole new level of suck. This game is the piss reincarnated as shit. Its so bad…

Just joking. Actually it have become a cult classic that everyone wanted on Virtual Console on Wii, but that never happened. Good to see that they are pleased today, even if I think N. was a bit greedy on the price.

Fred

You can call it greed on the price all you want, but if it helps fund localization for Mother 1 & 3 you’ll see some VERY HAPPY FANS

Magnus Eriksson

Help funds??? This is Nintendo you talk about. They are rich like Uncle Scrooge mcDuck

Fred

If they’re so rich why does everyone think they’re going to quit making consoles and be software only?

00EpicGamer00

It’s because of the Wii U. When The Wii U wasn’t selling allot, all the trolls instantly jumped to the conclusion that “Nintendo is doooomed, they suck at consoles! Nintendo should not make consoles anymore!”

Edit: But Nintendo is actually VERY wealthy. They have about 812.8 billion Yen in the bank (that’s about $10.5 billion in dollars, or £6.7 billion in euros), as of March 13, 2012 (it could of declined or increased by now.)
According to this info though, Nintendo can afford to lose 20 billion Yen (£163/$257 million) every year until the year 2052. That’s 39 Years (40 if you want to count 2012), Nintendo can afford to lose money.
Sooo…I don’t think Nintendo’s ever going to quit the hardware business.

Fred

Even if they are rich they’re still a business and making a habit of poor decisions that cause you to lose money will kill whatever fortune you have. The same applies to Nintendo, assuming you’re right that they have piles of cash (and I don’t know if they do or not) they’re still a business and if they make decisions that cause them to lose money (especially after they’re already posting losses) they’ll lose their investors and Iwata will get forced out (he’s already under stress to become profitable again)

Adrian

I usually hate the term “fanboy” but it’s kinda gross seeing you stick up for Nintendo’s price (with your own random logic, I might add). Look, not everything they do is noble and pure. They are still a company with a bottom line.

Fred

I never said they were noble or pure. Why don’t you go sign up for a few economics classes and then you won’t think my logic is so random

Adrian

Haha, get off your high horse and try to find a few people who agree with you buddy.

Fred

I don’t have to try and find a few people who agree with me I’ve talked to tons of people that agree with me. There are a lot of people that would have gladly paid more for this game; I’ve also found quite a few people like you that don’t think it’s worth that price. This is exactly what I’m talking about in time Nintendo will see how many people think like you do and how many will think like I do based on sales of this game, they can then use that information as they make future decisions on games.

JBeauregard

The price is what’s making me hesitate to buy it. $5 bucks? I’ll take it. $10? I’ll wait a bit to see some reviews/game play on YouTube

RetroVintage

In my oppinion, the $10 is well worth the soundtrack alone! This game truly is amazing! I was in the same boat as you a few years ago, but i was fortunate enough to play a copy of the game and was instantly hooked from the start. Earthbound features quirky characters, dialogue, and music, and the story is fantastic! The game takes well over 15 hours to complete (Well, it did for me anyway) and every hour is just as fun as the previous. Even if you aren’t into RPG’s, Earthbound’s simple gameplay allows anybody to enjoy it. A physical copy for the game goes for close to $200, (which, in my oppinion, is beyond what i’m willing to spend) which is why $10 is an absolute STEAL. With this price’ it also includes a strategy guide that was origianlly include with the game back in 1995 (which also retails for $100 alone). I hope you give Earthbound a chance; I think you will appreciate this gem, especially if you are into retro gaming.

JBeauregard

Thanks for the reply, Retro. You speak highly of the game. I’m nearly at the point of purchase… Perhaps I should read the games history a bit more.

Here’s a great video explaining the concept of Earthbound as well as a brief history of the game’s development, creator of the series, and the video’s authors oppinion of the game. (He does swear a few times in the video if that offends you)

JBeauregard

Didn’t even have to watch the full video. I got about 20 minutes in and thought, “I’m sold!” Retro, you get a GOLD star! Thanks! The video really helps with the sell. Nintendo should take notice.

greengecko007

I’d like to see Mother 1 and 3 on the eshop too, but this is a good start.

Fred

I think Nintendo is considering just that. Think about it. Everyone expected this game to cost $8, but it’s $10. My guess is they are probing demand. If it sells well at this higher price we could get Mother 1 and 3 especially where that group offered Nintendo their fan translations for FREE!

greengecko007

I still don’t see why you have to increase the price just to see if people support the series. If people buy it and it sells well, that alone should merit how much people like it.

Fred

Mother 3 will have licencing issues and they’ll have to charge more. If they can prove that they can charge more and we’ll still buy it they may decide to bring Mother 3!!!

greengecko007

What licensing issues exactly?

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

Maybe the licensing costs to the original developers and composers of the music? You know if a movie airs 20-30 years later the TV station has to pay fees to show that movie even if the station is owned by the same company that produced the movie. Nintendo published this game but did not develop or compose the music amongst other things. You call my logic flawed and yet you do not get these simple concepts.

There is more than Nintendo getting a piece of the pie. Think of it as royalty payments to the original developers and other people involved for each copy sold. Just like an actor gets a check if their commercial airs or movie plays or a musical artist gets a piece of the money of each album sold or digital song downloaded.

greengecko007

Because your logic is flawed. They have to license every game that goes on the virtual console. I’m asking how Mother 1 and 3 will have licensing issues, and how will it add onto the cost so much. The SNES Mega Man X games, which aren’t even a Nintendo IP, cost less than the SNES game Earthbound. Why would a Nintendo IP cost more to license a non Nintendo IP?

Fred

It’s not the Nintendo IP it’s the songs that they used in the game

greengecko007

Thanks. Music is a major part of the game, and if Nintendo or even the developers don’t own the rights to the music then that it would cause issues with licensing or obtaining the rights to the music.

Fred

I’m excited I bought the game last night and I’ve heard a lot about it, but I’ve never played it because I’m not willing to pirate games/movies/music and I don’t own a super nintendo (I don’t think I’d be willing to pay $150 for it anyway, but I recently bought Xenoblade for $80 so who knows)

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

Oh so by your logic every movie, book, song, online publication should cost the same because there is no way the authors or creators of that material could ask for more money than the other guy.. Yeah my logic is the one that is flawed… I give up.

greengecko007

Thankyou for giving up. You were unable to give me any legitimate answer as to WHY there would be issues with licensing the other games in the series, which is what I was asking @Fred, and instead just came at me with information anybody with a brain would know.

Daniel Gonzalez

Yeah, that wasn’t insulting at all.

greengecko007

“What licensing issues exactly?”

I specifically asked for an answer as to why there would be issues with licensing the game. Guesswork isn’t helpful. We already figured out the answer and 00EpicGamer00 provided sources. I also already apologised to Bob for coming off as rude in my frustration. So you’re a little late to the party.

Daniel Gonzalez

So? Doesn’t account for your being rude to people on the site. Plus I was adding my two cents in. Late or not, I’m entitled to respond to your comments. Have a nice day now.

Yeah, I asked @Fred and he responded just a little bit before you, but your sources are helpful and add on quite a bit to what he said.

00EpicGamer00

You were still, I think, a little too rude to “Bob Wilkerson”. He basically said the same exact thing “Fred” said. In the beginning of his post he was talking about the music. Bob Wilkerson’s quote: “Maybe the licensing costs to the original developers and composers of the music?”
Then after he said that, he gave examples, trying to help you understand. Please don’t be rude to other people on the internet, especially if they take the time to GIVE you an answer, and try to help you.

greengecko007

I wanted to know what issues there could be with the licensing. Guesswork isn’t helpful. Fred provided a concrete answer, and you provided sources. If I was rude to him, I do apologize. I will admit I was frustrated at Bob for explaining to me why they have to license the game, when that isn’t what I asked.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

Sorry I did not break it down piece by piece. I will try and break it down more in the future for those that cannot make conclusions from general concepts such as licensing, royalties, and costs involved in paying for the coding, hosting, and distribution of content no matter how old it is.

greengecko007

You and I were debating earlier where you thought that the extra $2 came from them adding a game guide… I thought it was because Nintendo was taking advantage of the fact that this game has had fans begging for it for years. In actuality we were both wrong. As Fred and 00EpciGamer00 have explained, there are references and bits of music in the games that neither Nintendo or the developers own the rights to, which would add to the licensing cost because Nintendo has to pay the developers AND the original composers, not because “authors or creators of that material could ask for more money than the other guy”. Rarity, coding, hosting and distribution are all part of every virtual console game, so none of these are the result of extra cost.

Edit: Actually, I just now saw Wayne Beck’s comment, and had it right first.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

I think you nitpick too much to be honest… I mentioned the game guide as one possible aspect of the higher cost. Forgive me if I did not make that clear… I too saw Wayne’s comment a bit after we started our discussion. Still does not change the fact that you are focusing one one little item at a time and I was trying to encompass everything as a whole. But that is neither here or there.

As far as the coding goes I could suspect that some games are harder to code to the emulator than others which is why you see varying game glitches in the emulator world when playing games on the PC for instance.

Either way it all comes down to if the price is justifiable by the customer. If it is not then don’t buy it. If Nintendo wants to take advantage of the demand and increase the price of a high demand game then that is their decision (not that I agree with that all the time) but it is something all businesses do to maximize profits. Oh and once again I use that as one small example in the bigger picture of this as a whole so please do not focus on that one point and see the whole picture.

greengecko007

I think that when I am trying to determine why a game has an inflated price and if the reason justifies a purchase, it helps to be nitpicky and want an actual answer, not guesses of possibilities. I did become frustrated with you though, and if I came off as rude, I am sorry, as that part of my actions are NOT justifiable.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

Well I apologize to as I got defensive when you stated my logic was flawed. I really did not see you ask for specifics other than to say that the cost of making the guide or coding the game was not that high. I kept it general with terms like licensing and royalties as these factors apply to just about everything that has a copyright and these costs vary. I guess my intent was to try and point out people need to take these factors into account before they instantly criticize the price. I also I admit I was not familiar with this game enough to point out exact specifics but had an understanding on why it could cost more for one game over another and there are way too many factors to break it all down for everything out there.

00EpicGamer00

Oh, alright then. I guess you weren’t REALLY being rude. You just wanted a 100% correct answer, and not just a “I guess this” answer. I completely understand where you’re coming from. You weren’t really being rude to him. Like you said, you were just frustrated that he never really told you an actual answer, it was, once again, like a “I guess this” answer (even though he is right, but I know what you mean.)

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

In my defense I said an educated guess… I will admit I did not research the specifics but I understand that some games have different and often higher costs in licensing and I took into account of the rarity of this game and what it was when originally released to make a educated and logical conclusion.

00EpicGamer00

And you happened to be right. So…very good educational guess, I have to say

greengecko007

No, you and Fred were right. It wasn’t because some creators want more money from licensing, or the game guide added cost, or Nintendo wanted to capitalize off the game’s rarity like Bob or I thought. It was as you and Fred said, there is ingame music references to music not owned by Nintendo or the creators, so you have to pay royalties to both the developers, and the composers of the music that is referenced in the game.

Edit: Actually I just saw Wayne Beck’s comment and he had it right first.

00EpicGamer00

I meant that he was right about the music thing, you know, in the beginning of his post? The rest of his post, yeah I don’t think it was correct. BUT, he was at least right about one thing.

Daniel Gonzalez

Some of the music from what I heard isn’t their own and kinda infringed on copyrights. I don’t know the whole story on that one, but it was something of that extent.

Jon

I think it is more also because they made a game guide available for it as well.

Adrian

I highly doubt you are right. The price is not going to change or get lower so they aren’t probing anything. They just knew demand was high so they made it pricier because they knew people would buy it still.

Wayne Beck

This is actually more than likely because of the licensing costs for the game. There was a whole thing about the games music and other stuff that they had to get around just to put this game out.

Fred

Good point!

Adrian

Hmm, I’ll consider this. I just bought like 10 games at the steam summer sale for like 30 or 35 bucks…so buying an old SNES game that I never played for $10 bucks seems a bit much at the moment :-p.

Edit: Just though I might add, that includes “Deus Ex: Human Revolution” as well as the previous Deus Ex games. The whole Deus Ex set cost me $6 bucks!

<3 Steam atm.

Jack5221

For the first time in my life I FINALLY get to play Earthbound! I’ve always wanted to try it, but never could see myself spending 200$ + for it on Ebay. 10$ is totally worth it. I knew this game was coming to the VC, but I remember hearing that it would not come until December. Getting it today just made my year. Great day for Wii U owners everywhere!

Scott Duperree

ill get it after i finish a few other wii u games

Sidney Majurie

Cried for like 8+ years for this game, you get it, now you’re crying it’s too expensive?!? Oh Nintendo fans… we make it so easy for them to mock us

Fred

I wish you were wrong, but you’re dead right

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

Seeing as this game goes for $150+ on most places you can still get the cartridge $10 is a hell of a deal. Why it is $2 more than standard SNES games on virtual console I do not know but it may have something to do with demand. Supply and demand does dictate price but I can see why some people think Nintendo is being a bit greedy by charging more for this game compared to other SNES titles.

What I do not get is the people that seem to advocate using emulators. I suppose if you are fortunate enough to have the original cartridge downloading the ROM is a gray area of piracy but for those that do not have the original it is downright stealing. While I think that the VC titles should be about 25%-30% cheaper on the Wii U I still appreciate that Nintendo understands that some gamers like playing the classics if they played them before or somehow missed playing them the first time around. Having access to Nintendo’s library of games over the past 30 years is one of the reasons I chose to purchase a Wii U.

Ryan Kent

Its $2 more because they include the Player’s Guide.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

That could be too and I thought of that and it is a shame that others did not think of the work needed to digitize the players guide and make it available for the game. Still as much as this game has been asked for it is great that Nintendo has made it available to the players. I think people just like to complain.

I hope as the Wii U Virtual Console Library grows they bring titles from other systems as they did with the Wii Virtual Console. I love being able to show my nieces and nephews some of the games I used to play as a kid that they could not play because they were not born yet. My 10 year old Nephew has been playing many of the classic games and since he recently got into the Zelda series with Skyward Sword I had him play all the games starting with the original. He seems to love it.

Andreas Sunde

Before today I would see nothing wrong in pirating the game. The cartridge is extremely expensive, and Nintendo won’t make money off of it. But now it’s easy to get, cheaply, and Nintendo will make money off of every sale.

Squid

I’m a hardcore Nintendo fan and I agree with you completely, it’s not all the fans complaining but the ones who complain even say that the NES prices are too high.. >.<

http://www.w-o-n.org/ GoldDreams

Wish they could have given an advance notice so I would have known not to spend my extra funds on pre-orders at GameStop this week. This is just my luck. The one game I’ve been waiting for them to release since they announced the Wii Virtual Console. An then they go and surprise release when I don’t have the funds to purchase.

Fred

I like when they do this. Out of nowhere BOOM I have something to do tonight!

Ryan Kent

People are seriously complaining about an extra $2.00? You get the Players Guide in addition with the game.

https://twitter.com/Zorpix_Fang Zorpix

thats WHY the game costs extra. They put a lot of work into that guide it looks like

Ryan Kent

I have the original Earthbound CIB and I will still buy this VC release, I wont have to worry about my battery dieing or changing it.. The Earthbound Player’s Guide is THE best video game guide ever created.

https://twitter.com/Zorpix_Fang Zorpix

Your head is in the right place. I like you

Ryan Kent

Thanks Zorpix, I have been viewing this site off an on and have seen you making solid contributions. This article and comment section finally got me to sign in.

Luffy

I too have the original earth bound on snes, but i will get this one nonetheless.
why?
simply because nintendo never made any money of me for that game since i bought it used, and i really want them to make money of this game so maybe they finally release the other ones over here!

Adrian Brown

it’s funny to see a picture of Monkey D. Luffy before a smart commentary

https://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices Bob Wilkerson

No they didn’t… They just scanned and cut and pasted the document.. There is no way there could be costs to developers and other costs for the work and royalties/licenses involved in releasing these games. It costs them nothing.

FYI THIS IS SARCASM MOCKING THOSE THAT SEEM TO THINK THAT THIS ALL SHOULD BE FREE OR NEXT TO NOTHING.

https://twitter.com/Zorpix_Fang Zorpix

I mean, the thing already existed. All they had to do was upload it.

YAY SARCASM IS FUN

Squid

Ooh! That’s why! Thanks man!

Brandon Betlej

Wait so why is this game pretty much the same price as eshop titles? Suck a D for that one nintendo

Ryan Kent

Yeah $10 is way to expensive for 20 hours plus of entertainment.

Brandon Betlej

I cant tell if your being sarcastic. . If you are sorry id rather save my money for cloudberry kingdom.. ya know? A new title for about the same price and probably alot more hours of entertainment

Fred

Earth Bound is new to me. I’ll easily get more then $10 worth of entertainment out of it

Ryan Kent

I am being sarcastic. I am not interested in Cloudberry Kingdom, looks cheap. But hey, different strokes…

Pikboss

can’t wait to finally play a game from every Super Smash bros character

Mochlum

I had a double take when I saw the title. :O

Jon

DONE, I’m off to start up my Wii U now

Mitch Hall

Guys, it’s 2 extra dollars. WHO CARES? Is 2 dollars really that big of a deal for a game American fans have been begging for since the VC launched?

That said, I’ll be downloading this… as soon as I get a Wii U.

Ryan Kent

Yes, because with that $2 people could get 2 mobile phone games!

AAAkabob

Yay garbage games that will drain the battery of the most essential device everyone needs!

Daniel Gonzalez

Not everyone shares your view, especially if those people who are on a tight budget. For some, every dollar counts.

Andreas Sunde

Then save some money and wait a month.

Daniel Gonzalez

I have a rom that I ripped from my original copy. I was speaking for the little people so to speak.

Andreas Sunde

I stand by what I said. If you can’t afford the extra 2$, wait a month.

Daniel Gonzalez

Fair enough. That doesn’t include me since I already have it. I stand by that, though. Happy gaming.

Sidney Majurie

Then you probably shouldn’t be spending your coins on video games. Just saying.

Daniel Gonzalez

Or perhaps you should spend your time responding to someone who cares? Just saying.

Besides, why would I buy a game that I own already? Exactly. You’d know that if you if you paid attention to comments. Plus, I was speaking or those who are tight on cash, never directly said I was one of them.. Perhaps ask before assuming. Good day.

Sidney Majurie

I was saying “you” in general, I know you didn’t mean yourself. You made that imminently clear in your multiple comments. You made it a point to bring up the “cash strapped gamer” so I was saying you “cash strapped gamers” probably should be spending cash on more important things.

Condescends to me and says I’m not worth a response, and proceeds to respond with a paragraph.

Try harder.

Daniel Gonzalez

Nice explanation, but it still makes no sense.:) Why should I not buy games just because I won’t buy games in the VC? Why I don’t? Because they’re not worth it to me. If I want to buy a game, I’ll buy a current game that is worth the money, not a game that came out years ago. That’s my point. That’s what game dump for me is for, most games I have in the VC library I have.

You’re entitled to say what you want, but then again, so am I. Cash strapped gamer? Never heard of that one, but I’ll assume it means people with tight budgets. No, I have money, but I don’t waste it on the VC or older downloadable games. That’s just me.

As for your last sentence, you seem to care as well, if not more on what I think. Try harder.

There’s nothing left to be discussed. Good day to you.

Sidney Majurie

-Says he doesn’t care about my comments and goes on to write 3 paragraphs in response. LOL.

-Says VC isn’t worth it and is a service he doesn’t care about but posts multiple comments in a thread for a service he doesn’t care about.

“Nice explanation, but it still makes no sense.” What, LOL.

“Why should I not buy games just because I won’t buy games in the VC?”

-Wants answers to questions that no one asked of him.

Diagnosis: In serious need of a vacation from video games because of extreme sensitivity and easily lets people get under his skin which he tries to hide by using smiley faces “:)” and coded phrases to mask condescension and spite like “Good day :).”

Take two of these (-_-) and call me in the morning

Gabe Hoffman

Actually the price is quite reasonable if you consider the fact that an original mint condition cartridge of Earthbound can often go for over 100 dollars on eBay. Expect that to be even higher if it includes the original packaging, manual, and strategy guide

Daniel Gonzalez

Even one that has some wear is worth over 100 bucks. Found out mine is worth about 300-350 right now. Of course, if you have a factory sealed copy, it can go over 10k.

Kyle Crozier

At the end of the day I will GLADLY pay 10 dollars for this game any day of the week. While I would love an original copy, I just can’t spend the crazy prices the game demands. Anyone who complains about the price needs to realize that people have been wanting this game on VC for a long time and I think over time the original version will drop in price enough to become more affordable for people looking to buy the SNES version. And to those who are on the fence about playing this game: If you like RPGs, weird quirky characters, and a story that will make you laugh, cry and think all at the same time then this is the game for you. I’m not a big RPG fan, but this game sucked me in and I never looked back. Absolutely worth every penny.

CCM

Awesome. I never appreciated this game back in the day when I was a kid and traded it in like a week after buying it, so I’ll finally be able to give it another shot. Given the rarity of actually finding the cartridge as well as the $150 – $250 price some are asking on ebay etc, $10 with a digital version of the old NP players guide is a steal. Buying this on my lunch break today!

CCM

UPDATE: I did indeed buy it on my lunch break! Can’t wait to play it tonight!

Bob Charlie

YES!!!

david jarman

Hello sleepless nights!

00EpicGamer00

Everyone’s reaction to this news:

sdmac200600

I emulated it and I really didn’t see anything special with the game. Can someone please tell why this game is so hyped?

Edit: Why did I get a dislike? I tried the game and I’m not even bashing it or anything. I wanna know what’s so special about the game…

greengecko007

Hyped because hardly any current Nintendo fans have played it, but they fell in love with the characters in the more recent Super Smash Bros. games. It’s definitely not the best RPG ever, but it is really weird and memorable in my opinion.

discuss

I would like to know this aswell. I emulated it and thought it was crap.

Bob Charlie

I guess you needed to have played it when it first released to truly appreciate it. The game has been trumped by modern ones like it, but almost 20 years ago this game was incredible (still is to me).

Elitepwnsface

Got plenty of other games to play. But i will eventually pick this up.

JA GOOZE

shouted with joy in the middle of my business lesson, when i told them that i was because earthbound is now on VC they all understood.

Jeffery02

Finally! I can actually OWN Earthbound. I’ve been waiting for this for years now. I enjoyed it on emulators, but I’ve always wanted to buy it! Took you long enough to take my money Nintendo.

Jack5221

My game keeps freezing. EarthBound is the only VC game that freezes. I got to the town after Onett, and right when I go by the bike shop this ringing noise goes off and it freezes. What do I do?

Bob Charlie

Does it constantly keep freezing?
I didn’t have that problem, but if it keeps happening you may have to re-download the game.

Mochlum

Fans: We want Earthbound on VC! We want Earthbound on VC! We want Earthbound on VC!

Nintendo: Fine, fine, here it is.

Fans: …for that price?

Nintendo: …this is Luigi and no Waluigi in Mario 64 DS all over again…

Bob Charlie

I’ll take this price over $150 for the cartridge!

felony211662

I’m so sad I’ve never played the original.this looks like a sci-fi rpg gem. Sold!

Kevin Sepulveda

Finally the game is available for all of us to enjoy after Nintendo fans have asked for a very long time and the first thing people complain about is the price? If you do not like the price and do not buy it Nintendo will might get the hint. If you do not like the price and do buy it you have complained for nothing. I think most people will complain and still buy this game.

What was the pricing of new snes games back in the day?? $20-$30? I don’t remember.. *cough cough* At least we can all play the game now, right? Rom it if u don’t want to support the company! Damn the man, save the empire!! I will purchase it again as my way of helping nintendo to keep making gems like this( and xenoblade chronicles )

sup3rnoah

paycheck tomorrow, purchasing this for sure.

Kev

Downloaded it without even looking at the price or watching the trailer. I have full confidence in the jrpg genre. This game is gonna rock.

Vert

Many old games are superior to new games. Just because it’s old doens’t mean it’s bad right? So why should Nintendo sell games cheaper? I understand feeling annoyed if you already own the game but why buy it again then? This game is easily worth of $10. Another argument you keep repeating is that making the VC version is cheap and easy. This doesn’t have anything to do with the price. Only thing I would criticize Nintendo is that it takes way too long to bring old games to Virtual Console. It shouldn’t take so long at least in the beginning we should get bigger selection of the classics then I’m okay if they bring only few games in a week.

Let’s put it this way: Think about you get Super Metroid, Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, DKC and Super Mario 64 for the price of one new game. Is that really so awfully expensive to cry about?

discuss

Yes, because it’s called “milking” and it shouldn’t be encouraged.

Squid

Can’t wait to play! Say Fuzzy Pickles!

Getfiftytwo RageComics

Bought it right when it landed on the wii U eshop

Hol

I’ve been intrested in trying out earthbound, but with the price of the cartrage, I’ve been unable to play it. But now, things are diffrent. Nintendo made a nice move here.

Playstation One U

Yes

Eric

I’m hoping that if this sells well enough in the US, Nintendo will take Tomato up on his offer and use his fan translation/localization and give Mother 3 an official US release on the 3DS VC

Nolan ArchLord

I would buy it for even $30. I own an actual copy, with box and guide. it’s my favorite game of all time and now at this price more people can own a digital copy legally and experience this awesome game at the same time.

Rainbow Dashing

Nintendo take my money

Wiiluigi

Copped! $9.99 is nothing compared to 350-700 on eBay! Thanks and finally nintendo.

noel

Loving this game. Its like this game was ahead of its time! Btw, this is my first time playing EARTHBOUND. I always wanted to play it as a kid, didnt want to use an emulator to play it. The wait and price was well worth it.